Small arms



Sept. 22, 1936. L. v. s. BLACKER SMALL ARMS Filed Jan. 20, 1936 6. 5/510 Ker pvmwzw Patented Sept. 22, 1936 2,055,168

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE SMALL ARMS I Latham YalentineStewart Blacker, Coates,

Fittleworth, England -Application January 20, 1936, Serial No. 59,956 ;In Great Britain August 1, 1934 6 Claims. (Cl. 421) This invention relates to small-arms and is: The invention will be clearly understood from directed to devices of the-general character die: the following description thereof, but it is to be scribed in British Patent Specification No. 412,580 understood that thisdescription is given merely whereby a grenade is projected by means operby way of example.

atedby the firing of an attached pistol, revolver The description will be more readily underor similar small weapon. g stood by reference to the attached drawing The object of the present invention is to prowherein:- vide a weapon of that general character, having, Figure 1 represents a side view of a weapon more. positive operation than previous forms, according to the invention; l0 beingsimple to manufacture and maintaimand Figure 2 represents a plan view of part of the incorporating various improvements which simweapon on an enlarged scale; pliiy its use and extend its utility. The inven- Figure 3 represents a sectional view along the tion also contemplates-the provision of a modiline A-A of Figure 1; fied form of grenade '(or a modified part thereof) Figure 4 represents a rear View of the weapon, for use with a weapon' designed to attain the and l 15 abovementioned objects. p 1 e Figure 5' represents, partly in section, a grenade The invention consists in adevice for throwadapted to be projected by a weapon such as ing grenades comprising ,a grenade holder or shown inFigure 1. a

support, having means for --detacha-bly securing In carrying the invention into effect in one conthereto a separate small hand weapon (e. g. a venient manner as shown in Figures 1--4 of the 20 pistol or revolver), and a mechanical firing deaccompanying drawing a grenade throwing de= vice which is operated by the hammer or similar vice is formed by a metal tube I of suitable movable member of the small hand weapon and length (say about IV -4V feet) and of com transmits the firing impulse directly to the paratively small bore (say /;;"-1 inch). Over 2 grenade. r v about one-third of its length at the rear end The invention further consists in a device as there are attached to this tube two plateimembers indicated .above comprising slidable means 2 adapted to form a butt. These may be of adapted to clamp said hand weapon detachably wood and each may have, say, three metal strips in its operative position; Such clamping means 3 countersunk andheld to them by screws; these 3 may be provided with locking means for holding metal strips extending from the edges of the t the clamp in its locking position. butt plates to form rings 4 adapted to have sliding The invention further consists in. a device of fit upon the tube l and thus form a pivotal conthe kind indicated above comprising a butt in nection of the butt plates 2 to the tube. The theformof two plate members hingedly mounted metal inset strips 3 are so positioned on the butt on t device, l plates that when the two butt plates are coinci- 35 The invention also consists in a grenade, suitdent with oneanother, side by side, the rings able for use with a device of the kind indicated which project 'over the plane between the two above, comprising a tail portion adapted to fit plates, lie alternately one from one butt plate externally of the holder or support, and a carand the next from the other butt plate, as shown 40 tridge or like propulsive'charge within said tail in Figure 1. Spacing rings 5 of metal, with, if 40 portion adapted to be fired by the mechanical desired, rubber packing to separate the spacing firing means in the device. rings from the adjacent supporting rings, may

The invention further consists in .a, tail piece be fitted on to the tube one between each two fora grenade adapted to replace the removable adjacent butt-plate supporting rings, and these base plug of a known hand grenade and to conspacing rings may be held to the tube by screws 6 45 vert it to a grenade of the kind indicated in the or the like thus forming the securing means next preceding paragraph." This allows existing holding the butt plates 2 in position. A plug or grenades, (e. 9:. hand grenades" known as No. 36 end cap may be fitted to the rear end of the tube or No. 54: grenades) to becarried by troops to close it.

together with a supply or tail members specified The butt plates are as shown of substantially above,,and used either normally as hand-throwtriangular shape, the apex being nearer to the ing grenadesyor quickly modified, for discharge front of the tube and the wider base at the by the devices specified herein, by inserting a rear. It will be seen that when they are folded tail member in place of the removable base flush togethenas'sho'wn by solid lines in Figure 4,

plug. I l J W. 1 they combine to form a butt of similar kind to 55 the tube, to form a fan shaped support may be rested on the ground. Alternatively that of a rifle, but that if required they may be opened outwards, as shown by dotted lines in Figure 4, by swinging on their rings 4 round which these butt plates may be screwed internally in f such a way as to engage with an external or male thread formed the sleeve securely on to ,on-the outside of they tube on which they may rotate, to the extent requisite. -Upon the tube I in front of and in contact with plates is fitted an inverted U-shaped metal these flanges (Figure l) edges of; the downwardly hanging U-shaped sleeve are so shaped as to form a seating for an ordinaryservice revolvenfand if necessary 'the tubeiat thispoint may also be cut 7 away to complete the seating. The dependent walls; of the 'U-shaped sleeve j are {spaced apart to allow'-the-barrel of the-j-revolver to-rest-betweenthem' (Figure 3), and ifnecessary a small slot may be provided, forwardly of thesl-eeve, in thelitubeto receive the revolver sight and allow thebarrel to restflush-against the tube. V

@An inverted U '-shap ed'-' metal stirrup 8 is adapted to ride over'the, abovementioned fixed sleeve Tand to be movablefore and'aft along it. The

ends!) of the stirrup limbs are turned in'so that riasthe stirrup is moved along the sleeve rearwardly the inturned portions come below parts of -'the revolver. For example on service revolvster guards l-ll V V revolver-in its holster, and-it is convenient to .ers o'f standard'formiare provided in front of the cartridge cylinder two fiangesknown as'hol- :whichfacilitat'e insertion of the I eniploy lthese holster-guardsin the present ininturnedilimbs=9 catching upon the holster vention; The upper 'surfa'ce ofv the fixedsleeve'l, or the upwardlyprojecting flanges thereof, may be inclined upwards, from its front end towards the-rear of the: tube,':and as the stirrup rides on this'zi-inclin'edisurface it is moved upwards, its

gufardsZIU of the revolver and clamping. it into g the "seat'in the bottom of the fixed sleeve.

-. Alternatively a" tongue maybe provided on the; stirrup' -18; to-pass under the trigger guard from in: front.

":ziTo protect the operators hand and to" pre-A vent obstructioninfrontof the revolver muzzle 'a guard :may 'be provided and this conveniently consistsiof an oval metal tube H, say 6-8 inches long; encirclingthe'main tube I and the space immediately in frontof .themuzzle- This may conveniently be' attached tothe clamping'stirrup 8' by' strips ,I2;;extending rearwards from 'the V sidesof the tube; and-having v-shaped ends (as j shown). theextremities of which are screwed to the sides of ;the:fstirrup.-.8'.? Pivotallysecured to one side ofthe fixed. sleeve 1 by means of a screw may be. provided an "L-shaped bell crank lever I;3:and a screwmay for example project as shown betweenthe \lgarms-of oneof theguard securingistripszll-g-thus forming a stop'against complete removal of the stirrup forwards. The long- "er limb-of the bellcrank lever I3'Zpreferably projects downwards "as shown and .itsis arranged so "that if,..when thestirrup "8 is in' its clamping position the shorter, limb bears-against, and has-a locking toggle; action; the stirrup; :;-A lugxor projection longer limb is; pulled. rearwards the I wards into a i -shaped lever I5, pivoted at its shoulder in the upper slot I6, the short limb projecting towards 'the rear of the device, jecting through theslots and by a short length and the longer limb probelowfthe tube. To this lever is p-ivotally attached by means of a fork within the tube a thin rodfll which extends forward in the tube I to a conical aperture in a plug I8 in the tube near tQ-itsppen end. The front of this rod I! is pointed as a firing needle, as shown, and is borne in the conicalaperture, while aQspring I9 may bear-rangedtending-to hold thefiring'rod IT away'from theconical aperture. When the revolver trigger is'operated' the hammer, as it strikes, hits the *lower extremityof the downwardly projecting lever I5,- moves'it'forward, andwith it the firingibd I'I {(against the action of its recaimng'sprmg-m to ignite the'primer of a grenade, which'is mounted on the front of theftube I ina manner described more fully below: A safetycatch may be provided for this firing rod-I'Ijand this may conveniently consist in a slidable' or pivoted plate 20, on-the tube I orsle"eve I; having an inclined surface or surfaces 2I adapted to be movedunder the shorter limb of the L shaped lever I'and thus hold the lever locked' or move it aboutits pivot, thereby removing the loweriprojeeting limb from the path of the revolverhammer.

Alternatively thelever may be pivotedon a rotatingcrank or eccentric in such a way that rotation of this crank moves the lever downposition" where it' can be struck by the-hammer ofthe revolver, or conversely upwards, where the hammer can fly forward freely without striking it. i r

The forward'end'of the-tube I is adapted to receive'thegrenade for discharge, and for this purpose-there may be attached at a short distance from theend a sleeve or collar 22 which positions the grenade and strengthens the tube-against the explosive forces. "The grenade is fitted externally on to'the tube until it rests against the positioning collarZZ, and in this position a discharging cartridge inside the grenade, which fits within the tube, has its cap adjacent tothe conical aperture bearing the firing pin, and'is therefore ready to be fired. w

aAniimprovedform of grenade for use with the device described aboveis shown in Figure 5 and comprises a nose portion 23, carrying'the explosive charge, identical iri'the form with that of known. hand grenades (e. g; that known in the service as No. 54 H. E. grenade) having attached thereto a tail member v comprising fairing 24 shaped to give streamelined formto the grenade andhavinginside a discharging cartridge 25. In :known'hand grenades, e. g. No. 36 or No. 54, there is provided a removable base plug, and according to theinvention the tail member is'designed to screw'-on:to the grenade in place of the base plugias shown. This enables an existing supply of hand grenades being carried, to be converted readily for discharge by the above described device, and the extra load for this purpose (con-'- sisting only of a suitable supply of tail members) is quite light.

Bearing these points in mind, a grenade tail piece according to the invention comprises a plug 26, threaded to engage with the base-plug hole of existing grenades, and having integral and coaxial therewith a larger threaded cylinder 21 which has extending therefrom a small threaded cylinder 28 upon which is screwed the casing of a discharge cartridge 25 enclosing the propulsive charge and cap. The plug 26 is screwed into the base plug hole of the grenade, and upon the larger threaded cylinder 21 is screwed a hollow metal cylinder 29 to which is attached, at the rear end, hollow metal fairing 24, which at its forward edge fits as shown on to the rear of the grenade, and with it forms a streamlined body. Fns 30 may be secured to the fairing externally by lugs projecting through the fairing and turned down on the inner surface. The fairing-supporting cylinder 29 fits externally of the firing tube l in the device described above while the cartridge casing 25, as described, projects into the tube.

If desired the muzzle portion, through or along which the projectile travels, may be rifled, and the projectile, or a suitable portion of it, may have studs, a gas check or a driving band, or other known means to adapt it to take the rifling. Furthermore, the muzzle portion 22 may have an opening (e. g. a slot in its side) at its rear end, susceptible of being closed by a breech-block (e. g. a falling-block mechanism similar to that of the Martini-Henry rifle, comprising a block or plate slidable in guides adjacent to the aperture so that it can be lifted to open the aperture), or other known means, in order to facilitate the ejection of a cartridge case, cap-head, primer, adaptor or similar accessory of the propellant, and for cleaning purposes. Alternatively, the muzzle portion may be hinged, screwed or otherwise capable of opening for similar purposes.

Again the muzzle portion may be tubular and of such a size that it can accommodate the whole grenade, which is then projected from within it in known fashion.

It must be understood that the invention is not limited to details of the grenade throwing device, and the grenade therefor, described above, since various modifications in either or both may be introduced as they become necessary or desirable in order to carry the invention into effect under different conditions and requirements which have to be fulfilled, without departing in any way from the scope of the invention.

Having now described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:-

1. In a bomb throwing device adapted to be operated by a pistol having a hammer, a supporting butt, a tube having its rear portion connected to said butt, a lever pivoted on said tube and a firing pin mounted to be operated thereby, means on said tube for supporting said pistol in such relation to said tube that the hammer of said pistol in falling will efiect movement of said lever to actuate the firing pin.

2. In a bomb throwing device adapted to be used with a pistol having a hammer, a supporting butt, a tube, means revolubly connectingthe rear end of said tube to said butt, means at the forward end of the tube for supporting a bomb having a propelling charge, a lever pivoted on said tube, a firing pin for the propelling charge of said bomb connected to said lever, means for supporting a pistol from said tube in such relation to said tube that the lever is in the path of the hammer of the pistol in firing said pistol whereby when the hammer of said pistol is operated the firing pin for said bomb is actuated and the recoil is resisted entirely by the supporting butt.

3. The device as claimed in claim 2 wherein means are provided on said tube for moving said lever out of the path of said hammer whereby firing of the propelling charge on operation of the hammer is prevented.

4. The device as claimed in claim 1 in which the means for supporting the pistol on the butt comprises an inverted U-shaped member inclined at its forward end on said tube and slidable means supported on said U-shaped member and having inturned flanges to extend beneath the barrel of said pistol.

5. The device as claimed in claim 1 in which the means for supporting the pistol on the tube comprises a slidable clamp embracing the tube and a portion of the pistol and means for securing said clamp in position.

6. The device as claimed in claim 1 in which the supporting butt comprises two plates and members on each plate rotatably connecting it to said tube whereby said plates may be set at any desired angle to each other.

LATHAM VALENTINE STEWART BLACKER. 

